WPA3 and OWE, WiFi security enhancements.

[MtnMan]

WPA2 is long in the tooth, and can be compromised.

Newer security/encryption protocols have been released. WPA3 providing authentication and encryption, OWE (Opportunistic Wireless Encryption) to encrypt data on open WiFi networks.

Most everything I have read on these gave me the impression that these are hardware implications and it wouldn't show up until new hardware was rolled out.

Then I got a major firmware upgrade for my Synology router, with many new internet related security features, and WPA3 or OWE as options for wireless security. I'm actually running as WPA2/WPA3-Personal, not that any of my clients have WPA3 capability. There are also options for WPA3 only (personal or enterprise) or WPA2/WPA3 enterprise, or OWE.

So obviously the hardware does not need to be certified by the WiFi Alliance, as it's all software, or can be until hardware implemented devices hit the market.

In the meantime, will MS, Apple, Android implement it as a software solution for all the devices that are out there today? OWE sounds great for open WiFi networks that are everywhere, as data will be encrypted by OWE if you are not using a VPN or other measure to keep data secure.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I was strongly hoping that this newest Windows 10 1809 update version would support WPA3. Then again, MS may roll it out as its own separate specific update, such that all current Windows 10 versions could take advantage of it (think MS Enterprise LTSB versions, that may not want to update to 1809, just to get WPA3).

Anyways, I haven't seen anything anywhere about 1809 actually supporting WPA3 on the client side.

I hope that MS develops the software stack for WPA3, so that we don't need a thousand different Wifi card vendor utilities running in the background, for that sort of functionality, and that it can be rolled into existing Wifi drivers as much as possible. (Might be dreaming there.)

Edit: We might end up there anyways, because of Windows 7 64-bit still being in use, and many drivers being shared between Windows 7 and Windows 10. Since WPA3 would likely be considered a "feature update", and Windows 7 being on extended support (no feature updates), then it seems unlikely that Windows 7 will ever get WPA3 client software support from Microsoft. But hey, we can dream of a grand unified Windows WPA3 client stack, can't we?

 

[VirtualLarry]

https://www.synology.com/en-us/releaseNote/RT1900ac

Looks like the MR2200ac and RT2600ac are getting the WPA3 treatment thus far, but the RT1900ac is not... thus far.

Too bad, as the RT1900ac is on sale at Newegg for $99.99 right now.

imicros on ebay has the MR2200ac listed for $165, and they are explicitly listing support for WPA3.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...er-researchers-kracked-wpa2-three-months-ago/

"Linux's open source Wi-Fi client and access point already support the improved handshake," he added. "It just isn't used in practice.. But hopefully, that will change now."

It's unclear to me to what that sentence is referring to, whether they are talking about Linux supporting an updated KRACK-proof WPA2 handshake, or whether they mean that WPA3's SAE handshake is already implemented in their wifi stack.

 

[MtnMan]

The MR2200ac is 139.99 on Amazon, mine arrives tomorrow. (they were just released this week). I could be used as a stand alone router, but probably not optimal, but designed to be paired with the RT2600 to form a wireless mesh network.